November 14, 2017

Mayor Emanuel, Chicago Police Superintendent Johnson Celebrate Graduation

Grand Crossing, Jefferson Park the latest police districts to roll out body worn cameras

Mayor's Press Office    312.744.3334

Mayor Rahm Emanuel today joined Chicago Police Department (CPD) Superintendent Eddie Johnson in commemorating the graduation of 209 officers in a ceremony at Navy Pier as part of ongoing hiring plan to add nearly 1,000 officers by the end of 2018. The graduating class includes 199 new police officers and celebrates the promotion of ten command staff. In addition, CPD announced the 3rd and 16th districts are the latest to receive body-worn cameras in the continued rollout of body-worn cameras to every patrol officer a by the end of this year.

“Today nearly 200 Chicagoans are joining the CPD ranks, representing a new generation of police officers who are earning the trust of our communities and making our city safer, stronger and more secure,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “We are investing in these graduates so they will have the tools they need to truly ‘Be The Change,’ including the roll out of body-worn cameras to every patrol officer in the city by the end of this year.”

In addition to implementing the police department’s hiring plan, CPD continues to expand the tools and technology available to support officers in reducing violent crime, promoting transparency and strengthening trust within the communities that police serve. Today, the Chicago Police Department also announced the latest in its commitment to expansion of its body-worn camera program to the 3rd (Grand Crossing) District and 16th (Jefferson Park) District as the latest step in an effort to equip every patrol officer with a body-worn camera by the end of 2017. The body worn camera program first launched as a pilot in January 2015, and today 18 districts have rolled out the program.

"Today, we celebrate the continued progress of our two year hiring plan at our latest graduation ceremony, as well as our sustained investments in technology with the launch of body cameras in the 3rd and 16th Districts," said CPD Superintendent Eddie Johnson. "This next generation of officers and supervisors, utilizing the latest technology and training, will be a crucial part of our effort to make Chicago safer and rebuild trust with the communities we serve."

Today’s 199 graduating police recruits are 23% women, approximately 49% from minority backgrounds, with 31% Hispanic and 18% African-American, and includes 66% Chicago Public School graduates, 20% US military veterans, and 14% second generation Chicago Police officers, 3% third generation Chicago Police officers and two officers representing fourth generation CPD. Police recruits spent five months at the Police Academy and will now begin their one-year probationary period, which includes three months training with a Field Training officer and district patrol functions.

In addition to the new police recruits graduating, CPD is celebrating new promotions. This includes the appointment of Deputy Chief Dwayne Betts to lead new Office of Community Policing, announced earlier this month, as part of the Department’s adoption of the Community Policing Advisory Panel recommendations and focus on instilling community policing as a philosophy at every level in an effort to rebuild public integrity and make Chicago safer. CPD is also recognizing the promotion of four new District Commanders, in the 15th (Austin), 12th (Near West), 9th (Deering) and 3rd (Grand Crossing) districts, as well as five new Captains. In total, half of the promotions among the new command staff are African-Americans.

This graduation continues to fulfill CPD’s hiring plan to grow the Department by nearly 1,000 sworn officers, including more detectives and police supervisors, and reflects the Mayor’s commitment to increase the diversity of the Department. Since the beginning of 2017, 903 new recruits, 52 Lieutenants, 142 Sergeants, 270 Detectives and 119 Field Training Officers have entered the Academy.

As part of the hiring effort, in October, the City announced it had invited 14,020 individuals to take the December Police Entry Exam. This is the second exam of the year and underscores CPD’s commitment to achieving its hiring goals while also laying the groundwork for a more diverse department. The applicant pool self-identified as including 76 percent minorities, with 38 percent self-reporting as African Americans, 34 percent self-reporting as Hispanic, 2 percent self-reporting as Asian and 2 percent self-reporting as two or more races. The class is also 35 percent female. This reflects increased diversity compared to more than 16,000 applicants invited to take the April Exam, who self-reported as being 73 percent minorities and 31 percent female.

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